Switzerland:

Coop launches reusable bag for fruit and vegetables

Coop Switzerland has recently started offering customers the opportunity to use a reusable bag for fruit and vegetables. The so called Multi-Bags can be used repeatedly and are made of FSC certified cellulose. Now all customers can choose the ecological alternative instead of the disposible plastic bags when buying fruit and vegetables.

Since February 2017, Coop has been able to reduce the use of plastic bags at the cash registers by 85 percent. Now, the supermarket also offers their customers a sustainable alternative for those who want to reduce the use of plastic when buying fruit and vegetables.

The bag has had to meet multiple criteria: "For us it was important that the bag was made of sustainable materials. The price labels should be able to be removed easily and the bag should be able to be washed in the washing machine," explains Guido Fuchs, sustainability specialist at Coop. The Multi-Bag meets all of these requirements. It has been available in all larger Coop supermarkets since 6 November. The bag is made of FSC certified beech wood that comes from sustainable forests. Significantly less energy and water is used for the production of the bags than for the production of cotton bags. Therefore, the Multi-Bag holds the Ecoplan-label and is recommended by WWF. The Multi-Bags are available in packs of three for 4.95 franc (4.95 USD) in the vegetable section.

It works like this

To be certain that customers do not pay for the Multi-Bag of 27 gram, the fruit and vegetables should be weighed without the bag before putting them in the bag. Different fruits and vegetables can be put in the same Multi-Bag and all price labels should be stiuck on the outside of the bag. It is also possible for customers to use their own bag or containers, on the condition that the bag or container is see-through. That way, the cashiers can see what is inside them.